Continuing my slow but steady process of "IONisation" with a purchase from Ocean Air Sports /my go to ION retailer/ of a hooded neo vest 3/2 and a pair of open palm mittens. The vest will replace the set of 3! items I currently use to protect my pumpkin and seal the nasty water intake around the neck and back zip of my NP wetsuit.

please keep us updated on your experience with these items.
I have been eyeing both the vest and the mittens, as the replacements for the separate hood that does nothing about water intake of MY NP suit and the gloves I have loose the grip and do not allow for a good boom feel.
I would be very interested to know how the vest and mittens work for you.

Im sure they will work excellent, because I've been using both concepts for years now and nothing beats them for me. My only mistake so far-trying to get away cheap. For example: I had to cut out the palms of the DaKine mitts that I use now; they are too long and difficult to put in or out and the M size is too small and they are in a process of breaking apart. My substitute for the hooded vest consist of: 1.5 mm neo shirt; fleece vest with hood and ill fitting hood on top of all of it. The whole system works but is badly fitting, too bulky and difficult to put on and off. So finally I'm resolving to make my life easier and buy myself a proper fitting, quality products designed to do exactly what I want them to do.

I've missed to mention an integral part of the underwear set /because I have it already and it's not included in the purchase/ namely the 2 mm neo shorts like the ones in the picture below /I'm using currently Oneill/ . Keeping your bum warm is important part of the complete core protection as you can imagine.


The best thing about using neoprene underwear besides insulating you from the water flushes is that it allows you to use a 4/3 wetsuit instead of a 5/3 effectively adding a 6/3 wetsuit to your armory at half of the price /or less/ and you can also use the shorts in conjunction with a neo shirt in the summer instead of a shorty wetsuit.

Hey Ady, since you are well versed in everything-Ion, do you know where to find their "MAST/BOARD PROTECTOR"?
http://www.ion-products.com/water/men/accessories/tec-accessories/mastboard-protector/
I bought one last year out of a shady company out in Slovakia. Took 6 weeks to arrive. Been searching online for a US distributor but unsuccessfuly. Reason: I need a RDM version (mine is SDM and I don't have any SDM mast. The SDM protection on RDM mast works but is a little loose and the protection moves up the mast opening when the rig fall in the water, thus defeating the purpose)

My ION supplier is Brian from Ocean Air sports : www.oceanairsports.com . He's been always helpful in delivering the product I'm interested in regardless if he has it in stock or ordering it from the distributor. Send him an email about what you are looking for at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Brian has the ION mast/board protector! Just ordered one. Ady, Thanks for the info.

Agree! The ION protector saved my AtomIQ a few times already. In Bonaire all the boards at The Windsurf Place had the exact same nose foam protection as yours. I understand for rentals but definitely not the best aesthetic. Our grear is meant to be used anyway... just not too prematurely!

The question about keeping your hands warm while sailing came up yesterday, so I’m coming back to an older tread of mine. Ive posted the ION open palm mittens that I’m currently using above , but while browsing around I came across another offering from Mystic that look sturdier then the IONs which I have to repair constantly with the Mcnett wetsuit cement. The lowest price I could find was at Windance, but several other sites including Amazon sell them too. Open palm mittens have some advantages over other types of gloves including: not getting cramps in your forearms; easy on and off when wett / I don’t even take them off during the whole session, just wiggle my hands free through the palm opening/ ; keeping your fingers together for more warmth and allowing you to blow warm air on them even while sailing; the skin type neoprene on top gives you an adequate windchill protection also!
www.windance.com/Mystic-Open-Palm-Mitten-S/8588/

Sunscreen for skin type wetsuit and other gear. Can’t say how well it works yet, started using it just this year, but in general I’m happy with any Mcnett products I ever used.

The latest in Ady’s “ionisation “ process: a pair of 2.5 mm ION Plasma booties. High quality feel and good fit.

My new Ion Radium harness arrived and it looks even better then expected. It’s more compact/less bulky then my old one and the padding inside is mostly neoprene which together with the molded pad give me hope that it will ride up less. Thanks to Kevin from Sunset Sailboards sunsetsailboards.com for the quick and accurate delivery and friendly words. Also included in that order are a set of 30” MHS harness lines which I also highly recommend .